BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference unveiled its 11th annual Preseason All-SEC Team to highlight the upcoming season of SEC softball.

Florida led all schools with five selections. Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss and Texas A&M each have two representatives on the squad, while Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee all had one player named to the team. In a class-by-class breakdown, the 2018 team consists of 10 seniors, six juniors and one sophomore.

The Preseason All-SEC Softball Team is voted on by the league’s head coaches and consists of a minimum of 14 players. Each SEC head coach voted for five infielders, four outfielders, three pitchers, one catcher and one designated player/utility. No ties were broken.

The process is broken, but this kid is legit. As close to can't miss as you will find. Flo has an article on her.__________________The hard right is certainly passionate and emotional about their causes. But in the end, devoid of factual evidence, they are, as President Obama so wisely and succinctly put it, just saying stuff.

PUHHHHHHLEASE. Everyone is a can-miss when they still have more than a third of their life to live before stepping on campus.

And, the process IS broken -- which usually means kids committing freshman year and not getting to take five officials -- but someone is stashing the money in the Caymans while everyone else is, relatively, acting like adults.

I am hearing a lot about how EVERYONE is doing it...

Please list the 2023s or 2024s committed anywhere other than in northern Florida.

Any proposal based on the vestiges of an honor system is idiotic. The only way to eliminate this behavior is by having a signature on a one-way binding four-year document that only the kid can bail out of until junior year.

If Walton commits another couple 7th graders, he will need to get licensed as a Daycare Operator in Florida.

So the kids 11yrs old. She has a better chance of getting her braces off & getting deported before she ever arrives on campus.

And she says her & her parents are "ready" for all the criticism?? Insanity! She's not ready for puberty! I'd love to call her parents STUPID but, I won't because that would be as egregious as the STUPID decision they just made.

Walton is piling these young kids in the back of his trash truck. And they will start to get pushed off about the time they should actually be making these decisions. And if other Coaches aren't calling him out on this crap, maybe it's about time the NCAA step in.

Can anybody draw a Caricature of Walton standing on the streetcorner, in a long Overcoat, hands in his pocket, sunglasses, Gator hat...saying:

PUHHHHHHLEASE. Everyone is a can-miss when they still have more than a third of their life to live before stepping on campus.

And, the process IS broken -- which usually means kids committing freshman year and not getting to take five officials -- but someone is stashing the money in the Caymans while everyone else is, relatively, acting like adults.

I am hearing a lot about how EVERYONE is doing it...

Please list the 2023s or 2024s committed anywhere other than in northern Florida.

Any proposal based on the vestiges of an honor system is idiotic. The only way to eliminate this behavior is by having a signature on a one-way binding four-year document that only the kid can bail out of until junior year.

Puuuhhhllleeeezzzzz yourself. I said as close to a can't miss as possible. Get off your soapbox and look at the situation realistically. While the process is seriously flawed, the blue chippers, like this one, are not the ones that are going to be hurt. Neither is Tim. The middle ground players with pit bull parents are my prime concern. Whether or not this kid is "can't miss" is a chance Tim is willing to take. The trickle down effects to the less talented players(parents freaking out) is what I'm concerned with. I agree that we need a 1 way committment document that ties the school down, but not the player. It is the school's business to recruit and parents that have never been through the process are at a significant disadvantage. Make it so the school has to worry about, not only the player's physical skills, but whether the player will be motivated to continue working after the verbal. __________________The hard right is certainly passionate and emotional about their causes. But in the end, devoid of factual evidence, they are, as President Obama so wisely and succinctly put it, just saying stuff.

Originally Posted by FreshThe process is broken, but this kid is legit. As close to can't miss as you will find. Flo has an article on her.

LOL. If Flo has taken the time to write about her, she must be legit and a sure fire 4 year All-American. Hell, let's just go ahead and name her to the pre-season All American teams right now.

The process is definitely broken and you sure aren't helping things by idolizing a 6th grader. Clearly, another case of parents thumping their chest and saying "look at my daughter, she's legit". If I was Tim Walton, I would be so embarrassed to have my name attributed to this.

Walton is ruthless. He spouts off about how early recruiting needs to stop but he’s the worst offender. He’s stockpiling all these kids before the new recruiting rules take affect so he doesn’t have to worry that anyone will go after them September 1 of their junior year. He has 4 years to watch them develop while no one else is even allowed to talk to them. I just don’t see him stopping completely when the new rules start. He’ll find a way around them somehow.

Lol. This is sad as hell. That pic of her and Tim together is brutal. Looks like a pic authorities would use when trying to find a missing girl, ha. I hear Todd Marinovich has already placed a call to the parents.

LOL. If Flo has taken the time to write about her, she must be legit and a sure fire 4 year All-American. Hell, let's just go ahead and name her to the pre-season All American teams right now.

The process is definitely broken and you sure aren't helping things by idolizing a 6th grader. Clearly, another case of parents thumping their chest and saying "look at my daughter, she's legit". If I was Tim Walton, I would be so embarrassed to have my name attributed to this.

I can remember a player who was all that when she was that young and was still considered that until after her sophomore year in college. Then somewhere the wheels fell off. She went to Tennessee and ended up at CAL.

Originally Posted by RELAXWalton is ruthless. He spouts off about how early recruiting needs to stop but he’s the worst offender. He’s stockpiling all these kids before the new recruiting rules take affect so he doesn’t have to worry that anyone will go after them September 1 of their junior year. He has 4 years to watch them develop while no one else is even allowed to talk to them. I just don’t see him stopping completely when the new rules start. He’ll find a way around them somehow.

Other schools can still go after them. it's just whether the kid/parents want to listen.

Michelle Smith was 14__________________The hard right is certainly passionate and emotional about their causes. But in the end, devoid of factual evidence, they are, as President Obama so wisely and succinctly put it, just saying stuff.

To be honest, I do not know that's the truth. You, among others, have made a decent case that she is illegal with pictures and rule citings. But let me ask you - why was she never called for it all last year (to my recollection) and I watched all televised games as well as listened to those that weren't?

I'm not trying to argue with you (everyone has a right to their opinion), but have you asked yourself why she was never called on it? I would really like to know what people think the reason is. I hope the reason isn't:

- the umpires are afraid of Walton- the SEC offices told the umpires not to call her on it- the NCAA offices told the umpires not to call her on it- the ESPN offices told the umpires not to call her on it

Those excuses are weak, lack understanding of how the world works, and not to mention lazy. A more viable reason I could come up with is that the umpires don't understand the illegal pitch rule. And even that reason is not much better.

Maybe a stronger case would be that the current rules defining some aspects of being illegal as written, are out of favor and perhaps there are plans to rewrite the rules in the works. And the rules committee asked the umpires to de-emphasize some points. I think it was 2010 or 2011 when illegal pitches were called every other pitch resulting in numerous complaints from the fans and players. I'm sure the NCAA doesn't want a repeat.

I've not heard anyone of authority comment on KB or why she is not called. Has anybody heard a comment from an authority figure?

Those of you who are convinced KB is illegal, I ask you to share why she isn't being called.

I think collegiate softball has decided that it doesn't want deal with the hassle of enforcing illegal pitches--which is BS because the florida pitcher is most definitely illegal.

As for an 11-year-committing to a school, it just shows how stupid parents and coaches can be. Most young phenoms do not pan out. For one thing, bodies change a lot between age 11 and 18. What's more, she will be playing against progressively better competition with each passing year. A ton of kids are standouts at that age and end up sitting on the bench. Ever hear of Freddie Adu in soccer? An American, he signed a professional contract at age 14. He was said to be "the next Pele," the future of American soccer. He never lived up to expectations and became a journeyman--has played for 14 teams and now, at age 28, has no contract and no team. There are a number of other examples. Parents should let kids be kids--but ultimately they want to make it about themselves. And Walton should be ashamed to have even broached the subject--tacky, bush-league.__________________vance law

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